


Turn Red

by Luna_Moon22



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Amnesia, Male-Female Friendship, Original Character(s), POV Female Character, POV Original Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-08 10:59:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8841913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna_Moon22/pseuds/Luna_Moon22
Summary: Yuno wakes up to find her memory completely gone and an unfamiliar face hanging over her, claiming he saved her life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Hunter x Hunter

My eyes open.

A strange smell fills my nose.

No. It's not strange.

I've smelled this before, I'm certain of it.

I can't place where though. I can't remember where I've smelled this before.

"Hey, hey, are you okay?" A voice calls out to me.

Familiar voice?

No.

Not familiar.

"Hey, HEY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT!" The voice calls again.

I keep my mouth firmly shut. I don't know why, but I get a feeling that I'd be better served not responding.

Suddenly a face pops into my line of vision. A boy. A kid. 7 at the oldest.

He has spiked black hair that seems to defy the laws of gravity. His eyes are big and brown, like chestnuts.

He also has a feeling. A feeling that he's someone you can trust, someone who would stick by you, no matter what you did to drive him away.

A friend who would never betray you, no matter how much you betrayed him.

"HEY! YOU! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" His shouts don't seem desperate. He seems more like he's simply trying to be heard.

A sudden desire to respond overcomes my initial feeling that quiet was the best way to keep myself alive.

"Uh.. Yeah... I think so." I reply, carefully sitting up. he looks at me with his big brown eyes in wonder and curiosity.

"Are you sure? There was foxbear about to sink its claws into you."

"And how did you chase it off kid?" I ask.

"Hey! I'm not a kid!"

"Really? How old are you?"

"8 and a half!" He replies.

I chuckle slightly.

"How old are you?" He asks.

How old am I?

...

How old AM I?

"Ummm... I... I don't know." I reply.

His smile quickly shifts to a look of confusion.

"How could you not know how old you are?"

"I don't know. I don't remember anything."

"Nothing at all?"

"NAME!" I shout.

"HUH!"

"I remember my name!"

"What is it!" He shouts.

"It-It's...Yu-Yuno! Yuno! I'm Yuno!"

His mouth spreads into a wide toothy grin.

"Hi Yuno! I'm Gon!"

"How... how old do you think I am?" I ask.

"9. You look 9." He replies.

Huh. Only 6 months older than him. Or that's how I look.

I reach up and feel at my hair. Bobbed. Just to the top of my ear.

"What color is my hair?" I ask, like it's normal not to know what color your hair is.

"Blonde. Pale blonde."

"And what about my eyes?" I ask.

"Brown."

"Thanks." I run my hands over my skin. Smooth. Pale. Multiple scars on my hands and wrists and littered over my arms.

Where did these come from?

I attempt to stand, my legs extremely shaky. Gon ends up having to steady me and help me lean up against a tree.

"What's that smell?" I ask.

"What smell?"

"That salty smell?"

"You mean the ocean?" He asks in an attempt to clarify.

"Yeah. Yeah that's it. The ocean."

The ocean. The ocean. The smell. I used to smell it all the time. I know I used to smell it all the time.

It's connected to a memory. No. A series of memories. Many memories.

"Where am I?" I ask.

"Whale Island."

"Never heard of it. Not that I would know if I had." I reply.

Suddenly a crushing pain enters my legs.

"SHIT! SHIT!" I scream and quickly struggle out of Gon's grasp.

"WHAT! WHAT'S WRONG!" He screams.

"MY LEGS! MY FUCKING LEGS!" I shout.

It's crushing. The second I tried to lift myself, it started crushing me.

I fall to the ground and pull up my right pant leg. A giant gash that seems to have just opened is oozing a bright red liquid.

I then proceed to pull up my left pant leg. Another gash that matches the first one perfectly. Almost as if they were created in tandem with each other.

"JESUS CHRIST!" Gon shouts. "I'M GOING TO GET MITO-SAN!"

"WHO THE HELL IS MITO-SAN!?"

He doesn't reply, he's already gone, running through the trees.

I spend my time waiting ripping my pants and attempting to stop the bleeding, hoping that whoever this Mito-san is will be able to help the bleeding stop, and actually treat the wounds. Maybe disinfect them. Maybe a proper bandage and stitches.

How do I know all this?

After about 10 minutes I finally hear Gon's voice tearing through the forest.

"YUNO! YUNO ARE YOU THERE!" His voice sounds.

"HERE! I'M HERE GON!" I reply, hoping someone who can help me is with him.

Then it takes another 3 minutes for Gon to show up with a red-headed woman with light brown eyes. She's carrying a large box with a red cross on the top.

I take a series of deep breaths in an attempt to stifle the loud shouts that I want to use instead of my normal voice.

"Are-Are you Mito-san?" I ask, attempting to be calm.

"What happened?" She demands.

"I don't know." I reply.

"How do you not know?" She shouts.

"Am-Amnesia." I reply.

She doesn't give an answer as she begins work on my wounds. The disinfectant doubles the pain, but at least I won't die of an infection. Mito-san looks at me with pity as she dresses the wound.

"Do you know where your house is? Where your parents are?" She asks.

"No. Amnesia. I don't even know where I am."

"Alright. Gon, help me get her back to the house." Mito-san instructs, lifting one of my arms and putting it around her shoulders while Gon does the same with my other arm.

They haul me up, me letting out a hiss of pain while Gon and Mito-san try to move slow so as to not rip open the bandages and cause even more pain.

It takes 25 full minutes to get to their house. A small house on the top of a cliff over-looking the ocean. A pleasant house.

Mito-san opens the door and they sit me down on the couch with my legs up.

"You can stay here until you remember something, or your parents come looking for you." Mito-san smiles at me.

"Thank you very much." I reply.  
\----------Break-------------  
4 YEARS LATER  
\----------Break-------------  
"YUNO! YUNO! WAKE UP!" Gon shouts right into my ear.

"Go away Gon." I reply.

"YUNO! WE HAVE A WEEK TO CATCH THE LORD OF THE LAKE! WE HAVE TO START NOW!" He insists.

"Yeah. But do we have to start RIGHT now?" I ask, covering my ear with a pillow.

"Yes!" He shakes me again.

"FINE!" I shout, throwing the pillow at him playfully and getting up.

I walk into the bathroom to change. I examine the scars literally covering my torso. There's not an inch of my body without scars on it, except my face.

Even the large gash across my legs healed into a large scar.

Even my neck is coated with scars. Burn scars. Not a single cut scar on my neck or above.

I slip on a black sweatshirt and jeans. I exit the bathroom and slip into my blue sneakers.

I don't even know why Gon needs or wants my help. It's not like he needs it. He can catch the lord of the lake on his own.

He could probably do it in half a day. I'll probably just be in his way.

"Come on Yuno!" He insists.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" I reply.

I run down the stairs to meet Gon, who's waiting with the door open.

I barely manage to keep up with him as we race to the lake. He arrives at the lake two minutes before me and is already up in his tree setting his stuff up when I lean against said tree panting.

"Damn. How do you run so fast?" I call up to him.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Never mind. It doesn't matter." I reply, sliding down the trunk of the tree and staring at the water.

"Remember anything yet?" He asks.

"No. Nothing at all." I answer somberly. I haven't remembered anything since when he and I first met and I remembered my name.

Though there have been flashes. Moments. Moments where I can almost grab small details of my past, flashes of grass and small houses. A village. But they only last seconds. Then the trail vanishes again.

"I'm sure something will come soon." He says.

"Yeah. I hope so." That's what we've been saying for the past four years.  
\----------Break-------------  
Gon hasn't moved for a FULL WEEK! This is our last day to catch the lord of the lake, well, he's the one catching the Lord. I'm really just here to help him carry it back to town. Mito-san has no desire to stop me from leaving the island, nor does she have the authority over me to do so, not that she's done anything to try to establish that kind of authority over me anyway.

Suddenly the line gets a small tug and Gon inhales slightly. And waits a full minute before yanking the pole straight up and the giant fish comes flying out of the lake. I stand, waiting to help him pull his prey from the water should he need it. But instead he runs around the trunk of the tree and jumps off the branch to use the tree to pull the fish out of the water.

Of course he wouldn't need my help.

Why am I even here? Gon could probably catch all the fish in the lake including the lord in a day or two without any help at all.

"We did it Yuno!" He shouts, smiling brilliantly.

He always makes it seem like others actually did something when he did all the work.

"Yeah. Yeah we did!" I shout back.

He jumps down and carefully detaches the lord from his fishing pole and places it on the ground.

"Let's take this to Mito-san!" He declares.

"Yeah, let's go."

The look on Mito-san's face is surprised, yet sad. Sad to see that Gon and I have won, and that we're going to leave now.

As Gon asks her about the hunter exam, I look around the town. My eyes settle on a blond guy sitting in front of a diner.

I know him.

I know I know him.

I've seen him before.

Many times.

His face has already been burned into my brain.

But I don't know who he is.

Friend?

Lover?

No.

I was 9 when I woke up with amnesia. I doubt I had a lover, and certainly not one that looks so much older than me.

But when his eyes move up to meet mine, I see shock. Shock and some other emotion.

Happiness?

Anger?

Sadness?

I can't tell.

"Come on Yuno!" Gon says, snapping my gaze away from the familiar guy.

"Ye-Yeah."

I follow as he runs towards the ship leaving for the mainland. Waving to Mito-san the whole way.

"I'll come back when I'm the best hunter in the world!" Gon shouts back to Whale Island, while everyone cheers and calls back to him, wishing him good luck.

The guy I thought I recognized also followed us onto the boat. He's been staring at me for the past 30 minutes.

After Whale Island disappears from sight, Gon and I make our way away from the back of the boat and towards the center. He suddenly stops when he sees one of the crew being harassed by other members of the same crew.

Assholes.

And of course Gon takes it upon himself to jump down and save the guy from his harassers. I decide that this is a situation I'm not interested in participating in. And I'm glad I decided that when I see Gon jump up to the crow's nest of the ship.

And the guy who I thought I recognized is STILL staring at me.

"HEY YUNO!" Gon shouts down to me.

"YEAH?"

"DO YOU SMELL A STORM?"

"MY NOSE ISN'T AS GOOD AS YOURS!"

"TRY ANYWAY!"

"FINE!"

I pinch my nose, the way Gon has showed me a thousand times. Pause for a second and then try again.

"I THINK SO! POSSIBLY!" I shout up at him.

"OKAY!"

He jumps back down to meet me. And when I glance back at the blond guy, whose eyes have gone from focused to completely shocked and dumbfounded.

As Gon brings water to the many many many people who are sick I try to close my eyes and get some sleep.

After a few minutes the captain opens the door. Muttering something about how this 'batch' is a bunch of pathetic incapables.

Until he notices Gon, helping people, the blond guy trying to read and occasionally glancing at me, and a tall guy with black hair trying to sleep as well.

Oh, and me, also trying to sleep.

He yells for everyone not busy puking their guts out to come to the navigation room or whatever the hell it's called.

The the four of us not puking our guts out follow him to the whatever-the-hell-it's-called.

We line up by the door while he faces us.

"What are your names?" He asks us.

"I'm Gon!" Gon declares, not even pausing.

"Kurapika." The blond guy follows up.

"I'm Leorio." The tall guy says aggressively.

"Yuno." I raise my hand slightly.

"Why do you want to become a hunter?"

"I want to find my dad and find out why he thought being a hunter was worth leaving me." Gon says without any hesitation at all.

"My reason is far to personal. I will not be sharing with you." Kurapika followed up, still staring at me out of the corner of his eye.

"I agree with Kurapika. Why should we tell you our reasons?" Leorio shouted.

"Boys! Call the association and tell them we have three more dropouts." The captain shouts to his crew.

"What?" I demand.

"You see, the exam has already begun. The association has neither the time or resources to check all of the thousands of candidates. So our job is to root out the ones not worth the association's time or money. If you do not tell us your reason, you will have failed the exam before you even reach the location." He smiles at us. "So, think carefully before you answer my question."

"Should have told us sooner..." Leorio mutters.

"I'm just following Gon." I speak up, "You see, I don't remember anything from before 4 years ago. And Gon basically saved my life. So I'm following him for two reasons. 1. I wanna pay him back for saving and housing me and 2. I wanna try my best to get my memory back."

The captain simply nods and Kurapika's eyes widen AGAIN.

"I am the last surviving member of the Kurta clan. Five years ago, my clan was annihilated by a band of criminals. I wish to become a hunter to tear down that band, the Phantom Troupe."

The name. The Phantom Troupe. I've... I've heard it before. Many many many times. Scalded into my mind.

But I can't, for the love of God, remember where or who I heard it from.

'We killed... Red eyes... You... Wouldn't... Why won't... COME ON!'

"So you want to become a bounty hunter?" The captain asks. "The Phantom Troupe is a class a bounty. Not even the most grizzled hunters can touch them. You'd be throwing away your life."

"I do not fear death. I fear only that my rage will fade over time." His eyes suddenly flash scarlet, only for a second.

"So, in other words, you want revenge." Leorio translates. "Does that require you become a hunter?"

"That may be the stupidest question I've ever heard, Leorio." Kurapika replies coldly.

"THAT'S LEORIO-SAN TO YOU!" He shouts back.

"Places accessible only to hunters... Information otherwise unobtainable... Actions otherwise impossible... There are more reasons than your brain could possibly handle." He does have a point. Maybe becoming a hunter will actually help me figure out who I am with all the information I'll have access to.

"Hey!" Gon interrupts Leorio's probably extremely aggressive response. "Why do you want to be a hunter, Leorio-san?" Of course he's polite as possible. He's always as polite as possible.

"I'll make it short." Leorio seems to calm down immediately after Gon poses the question. "I want money."

"Are you serious?" I whisper under my breath.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" He demands.

"Nothing, Leorio-san." I reply, smiling brightly.

"Anyway, money can get you everything! A big house! A nice car! Good liquor!" Leorio continues as if I never interrupted him.

"You can't buy class with money Leorio." Kurapika replies.

"Burn." I whisper under my breath, Gon glares at me slightly.

Leorio's face goes red with anger before he turns his head to look at Kurapika.

"That's three times now." He whispers gruffly.

"Step outside. I'll end the filthy Kurta bloodline, here and now." He says, poison in his voice.

"TAKE THAT BACK LEORIO!" Kurapika shouts after him as he steps outside the room.

Leorio stops mid-step and looks back at Kurapika.

"Take that back." Kurapika hisses.

"That's Leorio-san to you." Leorio replies before stepping outside.

Kurapika rapidly follows after him.

"Hey boys! I'm not finished yet." The captain calls after them.

"Let them go." Gon speaks up.

"Yeah. They need to work out their problems themselves." I follow up.

"It's important for them to understand why they're mad." Gon says.

"Yeah, cause that'll TOTALLY solve every conflict." I say.

"What do you mean?" Gon asks.

"Jeez Gon. I only remember the past four years of my life and you're still more naive than me. Not everything can be solved by talking. You're gonna learn that sooner or later. The world isn't just a bigger version of Whale Island. Why do you think Mito-san didn't want you to leave? She wanted to protect you from all the shit she knows is out here." I attempt to explain, but he still doesn't seem to get it.

Oh well, try again next week.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Hunter x Hunter

Gon and I help the other crew members pulling a rope of some kind that's supposed to do something to help us survive the MASSIVE FREAKING STORM COMING RIGHT AT US! I wasn't really paying attention to the explanation, just the instructions to PULL LIKE HELL!

While Kurapika and Leorio are staring at each other and doing nothing to help at all.

"Take back what you said! Take back your words and I'll forgive you Leorio!" Kurapika shouts over the storm.

"How many times must I repeat myself? You should show me some respect. I won't back down." Leorio draws a knife in the middle of his response.

"Then I have no choice..." I barely manage to hear Kurapika say as he pulls out a pair of wooden sticks.

Suddenly, all of the people pulling the rope opposite the rope Gon and I are pulling fall and the one scrawny guy who was getting bullied earlier happens to still be attached.

Wonderful.

Gon shouts after him as he flies between Kurapika and Leorio and right over the side of the boat. Both of them make an attempt to grab him, but don't make it to the side of the boat in time. And Gon goes flying between the two of them right over the side of the boat to save a guy we only met today. That's when I finally release the rope and try to run to the side of the boat. A true goddamn hero Gon is.

He grabs the guy while Kurapika and Leorio grab Gon and pull them back over the side of the boat.

Damn idiot. I'm gonna kill 'im.

"YOU IDIOT!" Leorio is shouting when I finish my now casual walk over to them.

If we hadn't grabbed your legs, you'd be shark bait now!"

I walk around Gon as to be level with Kurapika and Leorio.

"I agree with Leorio-san. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!" I shout at the little green-clad dumbass before me.

"But they grabbed my legs, and I'm fine. So what's the big deal?" He asks, smiling innocently.

"Wha-What's the big deal? WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? Are you serious? What the HELL would I have done if you had died! You are literally the only friend I have! I don't REMEMBER WHO I AM! If you had died... I wouldn't... Have anything. I'd have just gone right back to Whale Island, stayed with Mito-san. I'd have no chance of ever remembering me. HOW WOULD YOU HAVE FELT THEN!?"

His smile drops almost immediately.

"I-I... Sorry." He says.

I breath deeply. Trying to keep myself from busting again.

"It's okay. They did catch you. And you're fine. So I guess I can let this reckless act go. But the next one, I'm gonna kick your ass!" This is about the millionth time I've said this to him.

"Gon!" The guy Gon saved shouts as he comes running towards us.

"Katsuo-san!"

"Thank you for saving me Gon!"

Then he looks over to Kurapika and Leorio.

"Thank you as well." He bows to them.

"No, you don't need to thank me." Kurapika replies.

"Well.. I'm glad you're okay." I guess Leorio isn't just a greedy bastard.

"Yeah, I'll be returning to my station." The guy says before running off again.

Kurapika's face goes from a grim one to a smile instantly.

And I know that smile.

I know that smile like I know my own damn scars.

"What?" Leorio asks.

"I apologize for my rude behavior. My apologies, Leorio-san." I barely hear what he says, I'm so focussed on trying to pull at this string I have based on Kurapika's smile.

"Wh-What's with the sudden change? We sound like strangers... Just call me Leorio... Leorio works."

We seem like strangers.

Implying they know each other better.

"I'm also sorry. I take back everything I said. I was wrong."

"No, it's alright."

The captain's loud booming laughter comes from the doorway, effectively bringing a pair of scissors to my thread and losing what I had of it.

A smile.

A blond-haired boy older than me.

A brown-haired one shorter than the blond.

And that's all I got.

"I like you guys! I'll take personal responsibility for you four to the port closest to the exam site." He continues.

"WHAT THE HELL!" I shout at him.

"Huh?" Basically all of them say in unison.

"DAMMIT! I WAS SO CLOSE!" I shout, slapping my hands to my temples and staring down at the wood.

"What are you talking about Yuno?" Leorio asks.

"Remembering something! I had almost remembered something! And I lost it! DAMN IT ALL!" I shout.

"Did you get anything? Anything at all?" Gon asks.

"No. Nothing helpful." I reply.

His face sinks.

"I'm sure it'll come back soon!" He brightens again.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

The captain begins his walk back into the ship Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika begin to follow him, but I grab Kurapika's sleeve and hold him back.

"I want to talk to you for a second." I whisper, "Privately."

We wait for the others to go back inside the ship before he turns to face me.

"What is it?" He demands.

"This may sound like a weird question... but... do you... do you... know me?" I ask.

He seems surprised. Surprised but not in a bad way.

He hesitates to answer.

"No. I don't know you." He replies.

"Then why were you staring at me earlier? Like you were surprised?" I question.

"Because you look remarkably similar to someone I did know." He states.

"And why can't I be her?"

"Because she died five years ago."

Then he turns away from me, and walks into the ship.

"How old are you?" The kid riding the skateboard asks Gon.

"I'm 12!" Gon states.

Then the kid almost immediately jumps off his skateboard.

"If you're running I guess I'll run too." The kid says.

Gon smiles at him, his signature happy 'I won' smile.

"What's your name?" Gon asks the kid.

"Killua. What's yours?" Killua, what an odd name.

"I'm Gon! And these are my friends." He gestures to me, Kurapika, and Leorio.

"I'm Yuno." I introduce myself, smiling kindly.

"I'm Kurapika."

"And I'm Leorio."

But Killua seems to ignore us. Focussing on a conversation with Gon.

I don't blame him. I'd rather talk to bright bubbly Gon than me, blond emo, and old man any day.

Though Leorio claims to be a teenager, 19 in fact, I don't believe it. There's no WAY he's only 19.

If he's 19, I'm 8.

After about another half hour of running in silence, Killua looks at Gon with a playful fire in his deep blue eyes.

"Hey Gon, you wanna race?" Killua asks.

"Yeah!"

And then they take off down the tunnel at about three times my top speed.

They're fast.

"DAMMIT! I won't fail!" Leorio shouts. "Screw it! I don't care if I look ridiculous! I will not fail!"

"Why don't you just give up Leorio?" I ask the clearly exhausted 30-something-year-old.

"Because I need to pass! I need to get the money for medical school!" He shouts with determination in his voice.

"Med School?" I ask.

"YEAH! My best friend died of a curable disease! All because the procedure was too DAMN EXPENSIVE!" He shouts.

That's why he's here then. Not just because he wants to be rich. Because he wants to help people.

That's a more noble goal than mine. I know that for damn sure.

"I want to be able to talk to kids with the disease, and tell them I'll save them. Completely free of charge. Save people like Pietro."

I stop prying. If Leorio doesn't want to talk anymore. I won't make him talk anymore.

I stand next to Kurapika on the sidelines of the match about to start between Leorio and some old samurai dude I don't know the name of. Gon is still unconscious from the Hanzo fight, during which I got some weird looks from Kurapika, and Killua is taking a breather from his fight with... um... his name... was... Illumi. Yeah. Illumi.

Leorio seems tense. Like he's not sure he'll be able to win.

But, he doesn't even have to find out.

Because Killua walks up right behind the old guy, pulls his claws out, and runs them through the old man's flesh. Leaving a pile of blood, flesh, and bones where a living breathing human used to be.

The entire human contents of the room is shocked at Killua's actions. But that's not the only detail I notice in the sea of panic.

Killua's eyes are hollow. Missing the fun gleam that he's had for the rest of the hunter exam. Which means one of two things, either Killua's been faking this whole time in an attempt to get closer to us, or that's not Killua.

Killua throws open the large metal doors and walks out, still spattered in blood.

What's Gon gonna say when he wakes up? What's Gon gonna DO when he wakes up?

Probably something stupid and irresponsible.

Dammit Gon.

"Master Killua doesn't have any friends." The butler says over the phone before hanging up.

Rookie mistake.

Gon quickly sets the phone down on the table, redials and picks it back up.

"HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW THAT!" He shouts at the top of his lungs. "LET ME TALK TO KILLUA, OR ASK HIM YOURSELF!"

"I'm afraid Master Killua is busy at the moment. Please leave." The butler replies.

"Hey Gon, can I have the phone for a second?" I whisper.

He nods and hands it to me.

"Alright. Listen up. Either you let us in to see Killua, or we bust through that wall and find him ourselves. We are not leaving without at least talking to Killua. And there is no goddamn way you are convincing us to turn around." I state.

"Please leave." He replies before hanging up again.

Well, that didn't work.

Gon turns the the old buff guy.

"We're not leaving. Not until we see Killua."

Gon's nothing if not stubborn.

And caring.

And a damn good friend.

"We'll meet in Yorknew City on September 1st!" We all declare.

Kurapika and Leorio walk away, Gon waves after them.

Kurapika's walking away.

He's leaving me again.

Kurapika, come back.

Kurapika...

Kurapika.

Kurapika!

PAIRO!

"Yuno? Yuno? Are you okay?" Gon asks.

"Uh-Un yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

I'm not fine.

Pairo.

Who's Pairo?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Hunter x Hunter

Gon and I stand on opposite sides of the large window in the abandoned house. Staring down at two members of the Phantom Troupe. One of small stature with bright pink hair and a taller one with long black hair down to his waist. Killua is in the next room, probably staring out a window that's identical to this one.

The taller one looks in our direction.

Right. At. Me.

"They saw us!" I whisper to Gon, immediately dodging away from the window with him following with speed, speeding for the door to make an escape.

But how did they see us? We were using our zetsu. And I refuse to believe that it was a coincidence that he just so happened to turn around and land right on us.

It must've been the guy on the phone. Whoever it was must've known we were here, and that means...

A woman in a small pink dress stands in the door. In our way.

And she smiles right at me.

Gon and I turn as we hear the slightest disturbance in the air. And the short pink-haired one is right there.

Still staring at me.

"Do you two know the chain user?" The one by the door asks.

We stay silent. Staring at them with gritted teeth.

I'm trying to figure out why they're so damn familiar.

And why they're smiling at me.

"A Nen user who uses chains to fight." The pink-haired one explains. "We're looking for him. He asked you to follow us, right?"

"I don't know who that is." Gon states.

"And what about you, Yuno?" The short one asks.

Shock. The first thing that registers when she says my name is shock.

How? How? How could she possibly know my name?

I stumble back two steps before regaining my composure.

"How do you know my name?" I growl.

"Oh. I see you haven't regained your memories yet. Then I won't spoil them for you. You'll remember soon enough anyway." She smiles at me malevolently.

"N-No. I don't know who that is either." I say, my voice shaking now.

"We were following you for our own reasons." Gon speaks up.

I can tell exactly what Gon's thinking. He's looking for an opening. Any way out that doesn't end in both of us dead.

"Well?" The short one asks the one by the door.

"Well indeed... If they're lying they're really good. Though I don't remember her being this good... But I can check." The one by the door replies.

Suddenly the one by the door's phone starts ringing, and Gon attempts to take advantage of this opening. But the pink-haired one grabs him before he can even make 6 inches.

She looks up at me.

"Guess you do remember something." Then she turns her head back to Gon. "It's useless. Don't try anything foolish."

She's right.

It is useless.

Completely useless.

Gon and I can't hope to beat these two, or even come close.

And it's obvious we can't run.

Can't run.

Can't run.

Never run.

Never get away.

"AHHHHH" I shout, grabbing my temples and falling to the ground, banging my head against the cement.

The pink haired one begins a lunge, but the one in the dress gestures for her to stop.

"She's remembering." The one in the dress states simply.

Then she refocusses on her phone conversation that I can't hear over the screaming in my head.

Two names to accompany the faces of the members of the Phantom Troupe before me.

Two names I know.

"Y-You," I point to the one holding Gon. "M-Machi... and you..." The one by the door.

"Paku-noda."

Pakunoda smiles at me.

"Good. You figured it out on your own."

"And your friend surrendered by the way."

"I'll ask you once more, do you know the chain user?" Pakunoda asks after they stuck us in the back of their fancy car.

"My answer is the same." Gon replies.

"What about you Yuno?" The man on my left asks, elbowing me.

Phinks. His name is Phinks.

"I-I-I don't know them..." I whisper. My eyes wide and fixated on the floor.

I'm remembering something. Even if it's just names. What if it's my family next? Where the scars came from? My last name?

"What about you?" Pakunoda asks Killua, draping an arm around his shoulders. "Any guesses?"

The car pulls into an abandoned city. We exit the vehicle, surrounded on all fours by the Phantom Troupe. The one on our right is Nobunaga.

"Welcome to our base." Pakunoda says as we turn corner to see the entire rest of the Phantom Troupe.

And I can name them all.

The large one with the long earlobes and stitches is Franklin.

The girl with black hair and glasses is Shizuku.

The blond guy wearing a purple and green outfit is Shalnark.

The one with gray hair covering their entire face and wearing a simple robe of sorts is Kortopi.

The one wrapped head to toe in bandages is Bonolenov.

And Hisoka is there. I don't need to regain my memories to recognize him.

But it's the last one I recognize who gives me a chill and soreness in every single one of my scars that I can't explain.

Feitan.

I fall to my knees. Suddenly too weak to stand. Just like the day Gon found me.

Because of the gash across my legs.

"Yuno! Are you okay?" Gon bends to try to help me.

"I-I'm fine Gon. Stop." I whisper.

"OH!" He declares when he spots Hisoka.

Then he seems to realize his mistake as he immediately calms down.

"What is it boy? Do you know someone here?" Nobunaga asks.

"Yeah! Her!" He points to Shizuku.

"Shizuku! Do you know these two?" Nobunaga asks her.

"Never seen the boys before. But how could I forget little Yuno?" She replies.

"Oh I remember..." Feitan's voice sends a chill down my spine, "It's the arm-wrestling kid."

"Who was that?"

"Two days ago that kid beat you at arm-wrestling." Franklin points to Gon.

"I lost?" She asks. "That's a lie. I would never lose to a kid."

"Well, you were using your right hand." Franklin replies.

"Why? I'm left-handed."

"Forget it. Once Shizuku's forgotten something, she'll never remember."

Never remember.

But I'm remembering.

This is a waste of time!

But we can't just kill her!

But we can't let her go! She'll tell the top-class bounty hunters where we are and who she is!

I'll wipe her memory. Then she can't tell them.

Then what?

We leave her outside. If no-one comes along, she'll die. If someone does, she won't remember who she is. Win-win for us.

But will she ever remember?

Most likely, but not until long after we leave this place.

"Okay, I'll challenge you." Nobunaga's words snap me back to reality. And then I realize he's said them to Gon.

"Don't Gon. You won't win." I whisper. My voice refusing to go louder than that.

But my words don't matter. Because Gon ends up on the opposite side of the rock-slab serving as a table from Nobunaga. The back of his hand bloody from the repeated slamming into the hard concrete.

And Nobunaga keeps insisting on more and more rounds.

More and more.

And Gon keeps losing.

"Hey. When it comes to arm-wrestling what's my rank among the spiders?" Nobunaga asks his friends.

"Seven." Franklin replies.

"You're not weak, but you're not strong either." Machi follows up.

She's said that to me.

I know it.

"Anything Feitan? Anything at all?"

"No, nothing yet. She's too damn calm."

"She's too calm?"

"I can't get any kind of declaration of hatred or revenge out of her."

"M-M-Make n-no m-m-mist-t-tak-ke Feitan... I d-d-do h-h-hate you. I am angry. B-But, y-y-you w-w-w-won't beat me..."

A searing rod brought to a flesh neck.

"That's right little Kurta. Scream. Scream and scream. Scream until your eyes turn as red as the rest of you."

"She's not weak. But she's not strong either."

I... I'm... A Kurta?

I'm a Kurta.

I remember.

I remember everything.

Kurapika is leaving. Why is Kurapika leaving?

Why would Kurapika leave me and Pairo here, alone?

Why would Kurapika want to leave?

No. He's leaving to help Pairo. To find him a doctor so Pairo will be able to enjoy the sight of the ocean as much as he enjoys the smell or the sound of it.

But he still left me here.

He could've taken me with him, right?

The blood. The blood and bodies everywhere. I run through the fires and large people killing my friends and family. I need to find Pairo. I need to get to Pairo...

No.

No...

NO!

I'm too late.

I'm too damn late.

The pink-haired woman who just cut Pairo's head off turns to face me.

"And what shade are your eyes?" She asks, malice in her tone.

And I keep my mouth shut about my secret. The reason I passed Grand-father's test with ease when my big-cousin had so much trouble.

She doesn't hurt me though. She patiently waits for my eyes to turn the same shade as the rest of the people they're cutting down.

"Why won't your eyes turn little Kurta?" She asks.

I fall backwards and slowly pull myself away from her.

She wraps a wire around my ankle, cutting into my skin and causing me to gasp with pain.

"Well, I can't very well kill you if your eyes won't turn red... But I know someone who can probably fix that."

And she takes me away. To an island in the middle of the ocean. To an abandoned building atop the hill.

Where she leaves me with one of her friends. Who uses his 'tools' to cut, shock, and burn me.

"We killed your clan for their red eyes. But you were different. Your eyes wouldn't turn red. WHY WON'T YOUR EYES TURN RED! COME ON!"

I was 8.

"This is a waste of time!"

"But we can't just kill her! Her eyes may still be of value to us!"

"But we can't let her go! She'll tell the top-class bounty hunters where we are and who she is!"

"I'll wipe her memory. Then she can't tell them."

"Then what?"

"We leave her outside. If no-one comes along, she'll die. If someone does, she won't remember who she is. Win-win for us."

"But will she ever remember?"

"Most likely, but not until long after we leave this place."

I begin to chuckle quietly, before it turns into full-blown laughter.

"What's so funny little Kurta?"

"The Great Phantom Troupe. Bested by a nine-year old girl. You know what that means?"

Feitan heats another metal rod.

"I won. I beat you." I smile.

He presses the rod into my skin and I squirm under its touch.

Once he pulls the rod away, Paku places her hands on my temples.

She's taking my memories.

I'll forget everything.

And everyone.

Grandfather.

Mother.

Father.

Pairo.

Kurapika.

Kurapika's still alive.

Pairo saved him. He switched out the medicine.

If I ever get my memories back... I could find him...

I could find him... and we could get rid of the Troupe together.

And then they left me in the forest, outside their hideout on Whale Island. Where Gon stumbled upon me. And saved my life.

"Hey Gon." I whisper from my place against the wall in the small room that Nobunaga has cornered us in.

"Yeah Yuno."

"You know what we've been trying to do for the past four years other than take the Hunter Exam?"

"What do you mean Yuno?"

"I remember."

"HUH?"

"I remember everything. Who I am. How I got on Whale Island. Who put me there. And how I got each and every one of these scars." I reply darkly.

"You... Who? Who put you there? Who are you?" He asks, turning to face me completely on the small concrete bench.

"They did. They put me there." I point at Nobunaga.

Don's eyes don't widen. Some surprise, but not any kind of shock.

"And who are you?" Killua asks, keeping his normal calm tone.

"A Kurta. I'm a Kurta."

And now Gon's eyes widen. Killua's too.

"You're eyes turn red when you're angry? That's never happened before! How do you know?" Gon demands.

"I know because I remember everything." I reply, staying completely calm. But I'm lying. I'm lying because Nobunaga is here. The lie is the only thing keeping me alive, and the only reason I survived the first year with these bastards.

I slowly stand, trying to ignore the screaming in almost every one of my scars. Probably from reliving the moment I got every single one of them.

"We are leaving Nobunaga." I state, walking towards him.

"I will not allow that Yuno." He replies, standing and placing his hand on the hilt of his sword. "If any of you come past this line," he nods to the one in front of his feet, "I will have to cut your head off."

"Why are you keeping us here?" Gon asks.

"It's just until the boss gets back. You see, I wanna recruit you Kid." He says as I slowly make my way to one of the benches and sit beside Gon. He means Gon. He wants Gon to join the Phantom Troupe. "And if the boss approves than you'll join and if he doesn't we'll let you go."

Over my dead damn body he's recruiting Gon into the Phantom Troupe.

"Hey, Killua, Yuno, Zepile-san taught us welding, exposing... what else was there?" Gon asks randomly.

He's really thinking about that at a time like this?

"I forgot." Killua replies.

"Yeah, me too." I follow up.

"Side stomping maybe? I don't think that was it..."

"Gon, Yuno... I'll act as a decoy. Use that chance to escape." Killua says seriously and somewhat darkly.

"No. We're not leaving you." I reply.

"Seriously. Forget it." Nobunaga speaks up, "The three of you are smart enough to know how much stronger I am, especially you Yuno. There won't be any chances."

Yeah. I know. But I'm not going to die here.

Not before I get back to Kurapika. I have to tell him I remember.

I have to tell him I remember him.

That I'm alive.

That I'm here.

"SHUT UP! Killua suddenly declares.

"I won't know until I try."

"What the hell are you thinking Killua?" I ask. Thinking how damn crazy he sounds right now.

"I'll stop his shodachi, even if it kills me." Killua states. "Use the chance to run away!"

Gon quickly stands and smacks Killua in the back of the head with his fist.

Killua grabs Gon's shirt front.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Killua demands.

"DON'T BE SO SELFISH!" Gon shouts back.

They really are kind of hilarious.

"Don't talk about dying like it's nothing!"

"What?! You did the same thing earlier!"

"I'M ALLOWED TO DO IT!" Gon shouts in response.

"BUT YOU AREN'T!"

"What?"

And Nobunaga starts laughing.

"You can't use logic against an Enhancer."

"None of us will escape if we aren't prepared to die, BAKA!" Killua yells in Gon's face, finally releasing his shirt-front.

"You have no idea what I was thinking!"

"Yeah we do! It was obvious!" I speak up.

"Shut up Yuno!" Killua shouts.

"Who's the selfish one?"

"Yes, I have no idea, because I'm stupid!" Gon retorts.

Nobunaga starts laughing harder.

"You kids are hilarious! Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you or anything. Just behave yourselves. I know you're serious. Don't throw your lives away. Wait until the boss gets back. If he won't give his approval, you can leave. But, if you try to escape, I'll kill you. Don't make me draw my sword."

"And what about me!" I have a sudden desire to talk, shout, argue as I stand to shout. "What happens to me when your boss comes back? I'm sure Chrollo will remember me too? He's not gonna just let me go! He'll give me back to Feitan! I'll spend the rest of my damned life with you bastards. I would rather have you kill me right here and right now!" I shout. Ignoring Gon and Killua's looks of concern or whatever's on their faces. I don't care.

I don't want to go back to that hell.

I don't want to go back.

I don't want anymore scars.

I don't need anymore scars.

I just wanna see Kurapika again.

Nobunaga doesn't reply. I didn't expect him too. Because he knows I'm right. And he won't kill me unless I cross his line. And I won't. Not when Gon and Killua are here. Not when there's still possibility of coming up with a plan.

"I remember now!" Gon declares happily, turning to Killua and then to me as I look over my shoulder at him.

"It was side stepping!" He continues.

"Welding, exposing, and the last one was side-stepping!"

It takes a few seconds, but eventually both Killua and I get what he means.

"Do you remember now?" Gon asks.

"Yeah, I do."

"Totally."

"See? How could we forget something so simple?"

"Now that we've figured that out..." Gon begins.

"Let's go!"

The three of us fire up our Nen, crouching as if preparing to jump right at Nobunaga.

He stands.

"Are you serious?" He questions. "You're going to die. I'm not skilled or merciful enough to control my strength."

We begin a charge straight at him, then, at the last second split towards the walls. Gon and I going right while Killua goes left.

We kick to holes in our wall, side by side, and begin a run through the building, kicking holes in every wall that gets in our way.

Take that samurai bastard.

"BAKA!" Killua declares as we run away from the abandoned city.

"Man, I wanted to beat him up." Gon states.

"Well, we completely humiliated him. I think that's good enough for now." I reply.

Once we approach the large fence, Gon and Killua jump it with ease, while I have to jump halfway and then jump the other half. Because I'm not a freaking super-human.

"Plus, we wouldn't stand a chance, only knowing the basics of Nen." Killua explains once we're all on the other side of the fence.

Gon smiles brightly at him.

"What?"

"You finally sound like yourself again." Gon replies happily. "It's my job to say crazy stuff. You're job is to stay cool and stop me, just like Yuno!"

"So I'm counting on you guys." He slaps both our arms before he continues running away from the buildings.

"You're so selfish." Killua replies and takes off running himself. I quickly follow.

The faster we get away from those bastards the better.

"Well? What do we do next?"

"We find Kurapika." I state.

"Why's that?" Gon asks.

"Did you figure it out too?" Killua asks.

"No, I don't know what you mean Killua, but I want to tell him I remember everything." I reply.

"He's the chain user." Killua states.

"That actually makes a lot of sense. Which means he killed Uvogin and he's a badass." I reply somewhat casually.

"WHAT? KURAPIKA'S THE CHAIN USER?" Gon questions.

"Yeah, you didn't realize either?" Killua asks.

"No."

"It makes more sense than some random guy. Kurapika is obsessed with taking them down. So, he would definitely do something like that." I reply.

"Plus, if it's true, we have a chance of defeating the Troupe." Killua adds.

"Yeah. That's a bonus."

Gon and Killua begins stuffing their faces with food. Trying to see who can eat more in the time allotted. I quickly glimpse up to see Kurapika.

He looks entirely different from the last time we saw hime. His hair is longer, and he has an earring in his left ear. His clothes are different as well. They look more like what he used to wear in the Kurta village. Blue and gold instead of blue and red. And his eyes look more somber.

"KURAPIKA!" I shout, running to him and wrapping my arms around his torso.

"Yuno?" He asks, looking down at me.

I feel my eyes well up with tears.

"I remember. I remember everything. I remember my mom and dad. I remember your mom and dad. I remember Grandfather. I remember Pairo. And I remember you." I say, looking up at him.

His eyes widen.

"You... You... Yuno?" He asks, tears begin to well up in his eyes as well.

I nod slightly.

Kurapika and Pairo were the only ones who would play with me.

Because I was different from the other Kurta.

My Mother was a Kurta, my father was an, an honorary member of the clan.

So I was genetically different.

I had brown eyes.

And they didn't turn red. No matter how angry I became.

My father died when I was four. And no one wanted to play with a half-Kurta.

But Kurapika didn't care. And neither did Pairo. He was different too. He couldn't see.

So I played with them.

Until Kurapika left to find a doctor for Pairo's eyes.

He left us there.

And a week later, the Troupe came.

They killed everyone.

Except me.

Because I was different.

It saved my life.

Kurapika kneels and wraps his arms around me as well.

"You're alive... you're alive..." He whispers.

"Mmm-hmm."

"Because my eyes don't turn red."


End file.
